COL.  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  FLOWERS 
MEMORIAL  COLLECTION 


DUKE  UNIVERSITY  LIBRARY 
DURHAM,  N.  C. 


PRESENTED  BY 

W.  W.  FLOWERS 


BRIEF  HISTORY 

OF  THE 

IMPRISONMENT  OF  JAMES  SAUNDERS, 

OF  NORTH  CAROLINA, 

SON  OF  THE  HON.  R.  M.  SAUNDERS, 

OUR    MINISTER    TO  SPAIN, 
AT  THE 

NEW  HAMPSHIRE  INSANE  ASYLUM. 

WRITTEN  BY  HIMSELF. 

M  Be  comforted,  good  madam,  the  great  rage, 
You  see  is  cured  in  him.r' 

BOSTON: 
D.  H.  ELA  &  CO.  PRINTERS. 
1846. 


I 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2014 


https://archive.org/details/briefhistoryofimOOsaun 


TO  THE  PUBLIC. 


Although  I  fear  that  my  name  has  already  been  too 
often  intruded  upon  your  notice,  yet  I  do  hope  you  will 
bear  with  me  and  listen  to  me  for  a  few  moments — not 
so  much  on  my  own  account  as  that  of  a  few  warm  noble- 
hearted  friends,  who  have  raised  their  voices  in  my 
behalf.  I  wish  to  justify  the  course  they  have  had  the 
independence  to  pursue  in  regard  to  my  case.  They 
have  said  I  was  a  sane  man,  and  one  who  had  been  un- 
justly deprived  of  his  liberty,  and  for  this  they  have  been 
reproved  and  censured.  No  man  or  woman  either,  ever 
yet  befriended  James  Saunders  and  had  cause  to  repent 
it.  They  have  nobly  taken  my  part  when  I  was  in 
prison,  made  my  cause  theirs,  and  defended  me  like  a 
brother.  I  am  now  again  a  free  man,  and  by  Heaven's 
blessing  shall  ever  remain  so, — and  so  long  as  I  have 
breath  to  draw,  a  tongue  to  speak,  or  strength  to  wield  a 
pen,  they  shall  be  at  their  service  ;  yes,  so  far  as  I  can 
repay  the  debt  of  gratitude,  next  to  my  Maker,  I  am 
theirs,  heart,  soul  and  body.  There  is  nothing  I  would  not 
dare — no  sacrifice  I  would  not  freely  and  cheerfully 
make  in  their  behalf ;  and  after  I  have  done  all  in  my 
power,  I  should  then  acknowledge  myself  their  debtor. 

I  allude  principally  in  the  foregoing  remarks  to  those 
editorial  friends  who  have  befriended  me,  viz :  Messrs. 
1 


Norris  of  the  "  Olive  Branch,"  Kent  of  the  "  Boston  Sun," 
Henry  Clapp  of  the  "  Lynn  Pioneer,"  William  Lloyd 
Garrison,  Charles  Low,  editor  of  the  "  New  Hampshire 
Courier  and  Gazette,"  and  N.  P.  Rogers  of  Concord, 
N.  H.  Although  there  are  a  few  other  warm-hearted 
friends  who,  by  their  sympathy  and  every  other  act  of 
kindness  in  their  power  have  befriended  me, — yet  to  the 
above  gentlemen,  I  am  indebted  for  bringing  my  case  be- 
fore the  public,  and  thereby  making  me  many  friends  who 
would  not  otherwise  have  heard  of  me.  1  allude  to  this 
circumstance,  not  for  the  purpose  of  thanking  them ;  I 
have  done  so  already  several  times — and  from  the  bottom 
of  my  heart.  I  mention  it  simply  to  say,  that  every 
statement  concerning  my  case  made  by  them  in  their 
respective  journals  is  substantially  correct.  They  have 
told  M  the  truth,  the  whole  truth,  and  nothing  but  the 
truth."  But  as  I  anticipate  being  answered  in  this  com- 
munication, by  either  the  superintendent  of  the  New 
Hampshire  Insane  Asylum,  or  some  one  of  its  trustees, 
I  trust  I  shall  be  indulged  in  briefly  repeating  the  story. 
I  wish  to  deal  freely  and  frankly  with  the  public,  and  I 
do  promise  to  say  nothing  that  is  not  strictly  true,  and  "  to 
set  down  nought  in  malice."  For  although  I  feel  I  have 
been  wronged,  deeply  wronged,  yet  I  bear  malice  against 
no  man — such  a  feeling  never  had  a  place  in  my  bosom. 
I  scorn  it,  from  my  heart  I  scorn  it.  And  although  I 
never  forget  an  act  of  kindness,  yet  a  wrong  or  an  in- 
jury soon  passes  from  my  memory,  unless  often  repeated 
and  I  am  goaded  to  madness ;  then  like  most  of  my  coun- 
trymen, I  feel  a  spirit  which  cannot  be  hushed  or 
appeased,  until  I  have  had  justice  done  me. 

I  am  a  Southerner,  and  a  native  of  North  Carolina. 
Soon  after  graduating  at  the  University  of  North  Caro- 
lina, and  obtained  my  license  to  practice  law,  like  many  of 
my  companions  in  my  youth,  I  was  seized  with  a  spirit  of 
adventure  ;  I  must  needs  go  to  the  "  West," — North  Caro- 
lina was  getting  old,  and  the  field  of  labor  for  any  young 
man  of  a  strong  spirit  or  ambition  too  contracted.  Be- 


3 


sides,  lawyers  were  there  as  plenty  as  blackberries  al- 
most. So  I  went  to  the  "  West."  I  first  settled  in 
Columbus,  Miss. ;  I  here  took  the  Texas  fever.  I  thought 
I  must  go  there  and  see  that  country — I  went ;  it  was  my 
determination  to  settle  down  for  life  if  pleased.  I  trav- 
elled nearly  over  the  then  Republic,  and  was  delighted  and 
charmed  with  the  country  itself;  its  soil,  climate  and 
natural  productions,  but  was  made  sick  and  disgusted 
with  the  morals  of  the  people. 

I  saw  men  there  who  I  was  told  had  been  eminent 
lawyers  and  physicians  in  the  "States,"  (as  they  were 
then  called,)  but  who  yielding  to  the  tide  of  immorality 
and  dissipation,  were  carried  down  into  the  lowest  sink  of 
infamy,  drunkenness  and  debauchery.  This  was  enough 
for  me.  I  reflected  that  I  was  also  but  a  man,  and  liable 
to  yield  to  the  same  temptation  and  influences ;  I  there- 
fore determined  to  turn  my  back  on  Texas.  I  did  so  at 
once  and  for  ever.  But  in  returning  to  the  United  States, 
I  came  to  the  State  of  Louisiana.  I  there  fell  in  with  an 
uncle  ;  a  man  of  some  standing  and  influence.  He  partly 
induced  me  to  settle,  I  did  so, — but  from  that  time  never 
enjoyed  any  health.  The  climate  never  agreed  with  me, 
it  was  so  hot.  Indeed  Louisiana  has  been  called,  and 
justly  too,  the  graveyard  of  the  Union.  But  I  had  made 
my  location,  and  was  resolved  to  stand  it  out, — but  in  the 
five  years  I  lived  there,  I  lived  twenty  years, — I  mean 
my  constitution  was  impaired,  in  the  five  years  I  resided 
in  Louisiana  more,  far  more  than  it  would  have  been  in 
twenty  years  at  the  North, — besides,  I  had  my  mis- 
fortunes. 

There  were  individuals  in  whom  I  reposed  the  most 
boundless  confidence  who  basely  deceived  me.  This 
upset  my  mind,  and  brought  on  a  long  and  extra- 
ordinarily severe  spell  of  sickness,  so  severe  indeed, 
that  for  six  long  months  I  never  lay  down  at  night,  with 
the  least  hope  or  expectation  of  ever  seeing  the  light  of 
another  morning ; — nor  did  my  friends,  the  few  I  had 
left,  who  had  not  taken  any  advantage  of  me.   My  case  in 


4 


fine  was  indeed  hopeless — I  thought  die  I  must.  But  I 
resolved  I  would  not  die  in  a  land  of  strangers,  I  would  go 
back  to  my  father's  house  in  the  "  Old  North  State," — I 
did  so.  Arriving  here,  my  bodily  health  rapidly  improved, 
but  my  mind  grew  worse  if  any  thing.  It  was  weighed 
down  and  well  nigh  crushed  by  a  heavy  depression  of 
spirits.  I  saw  no  peace — I  took  to  that  miserable  refuge 
of  some  unfortunate  men  like  myself.  I  resorted  to  the 
wine-cup  to  drown  my  mental  agony. 

Previous  to  this  time  my  noble-hearted  father  had 
borne  with  me  with  unexampled  patience  and  forbear- 
ance, for  he  was  one  of  the  most  tender-hearted  men  that 
ever  lived.  I  have  reason  to  believe  that  he  had  been 
besieged  day  and  night  by  my  stepmother  to  send  me  off. 
She  wanted  to  get  rid  of  my  nursing,  and  also  wanted  to 
get  me  out  of  the  way  of  my  father's  property,  as  she  had 
already  done  my  other  two  own  brothers.  But  no ! 
my  noble  father  turned  a  deaf  ear  to  all  her  entreaties. 
And  he  never  would  have  consented  to  my  leaving 
him,  had  I  not  taken  to  the  wine-cup  ;  of  this  I  am  per- 
fectly satisfied. 

He,  therefore,  wrote  to  my  brother,  Lieut.  Camillus 
Saunders,  of  the  United  States  Navy,  who  then  resided 
at  Charlestown,  near  this  city,  to  come  and  take  me,  by 
using  deception,  to  some  Asylum  at  the  North.  My 
father  was  right ;  I  blame  him  not.  Both  my  body  and 
mind  were  almost  a  wreck  of  what  they  were  once ;  I 
was  a  fit  subject  for  an  asylum. 

I  have  said  not  once  only,  but  whenever  I  have  spoken 
of  my  incarceration  at  the  New  Hampshire  Insane  Asylum, 
that  I  do  not  and  never  did  complain  of  being  carried 
there,  although  I  was  deceived,  and  knew  not  where  I 
was  going,  or  what  was  to  be  done  with  me,  until  the 
lock  was  turned  upon  me.  But,  I  say,  of  this  I  complain 
not, — although  my  mind  was  wrecked  by  the  weak  state  of 
my  body,  yet  I  never  had  but  one  real  symptom  of  in- 
sanity, unless  great  depression  of  spirits  might  be  so  con- 


5 


sidered  ;  and  perhaps,  they  may  and  ought  to  be  so  con- 
sidered. The  symptom,  however,  to  which  I  allude  is 
this,  viz  :  I  imagined  it  would  kill  me  to  converse.  In  this 
insane  notion,  I  was  fixed,  as  I  believed,  immovably; 
it  grew  out  of  the  long  and  severe  spell  of  sickness  to 
which  I  have  already  alluded.  Well,  for  six  or  nine 
months,  I  was  more  or  less  under  this  mental  delusion, 
seldom  spoke,  and  never  except  when  forced.  I  had  a 
slate  and  pencil  which  I  invariably  used,  and  such  was 
the  weakness  of  my  body,  I  sat  almost  immovably  in  one 
position.  During  that  whole  time,  I  don't  think  I  ever 
more  than  two  or  three  times  moved  unless  forced. 

But  about  six  or  eight  months  since,  a  reaction  took  place, 
both  as  to  my  mind  and  body.  I  commenced  walking  out 
for  exercise.  The  cool  fresh  air  of  the  North  appeared 
to  act  like  a  charm  upon  my  system.  It  soon  braced  it 
up  in  a  great  measure.  My  mind  also  shook  off  its  heavy 
depressions,  and  soon  became  as  clear,  strong  and  cheer- 
ful, as  ever  it  was  in  all  my  life,  and  it  is  a  remarkably 
cheerful  one  ;  for  I  am  what  the  phrenologists  term,  of  a 
sanguine  temperament,  and  always  disposed  to  look  on  the 
bright  side  of  the  picture  of  life.  I  also,  at  the  same  time, 
was  induced  to  try  and  talk;  and  as  I  found  it  did  not  kill 
me,  I  have  been  talking  ever  since,  for  I  am  naturally  a 
great  talker,  being  of  a  sociable,  friendly  disposition. 

I  then,  and  have  ever  since,  considered  myself  a  per- 
fectly sane  man,  and  as  such,  had  no  business  in  a  mad- 
house. Besides,  the  close  confinement  to  which  I  was 
subjected,  was  not  only  tiresome,  but  injurious  to  my 
health. 

It  is  true,  that  owing  to  the  accident  of  my  being  a  son 
of  a  member  of  Congress,  I  was  allowed  a  good  many  lib- 
erties ;  more  so,  than  any  patient  in  the  Asylum.  I  was 
allowed  at  this  time,  to  go  in  and  out  the  Asylum,  pretty 
much  wherever  I  pleased,  and  I  formed  a  good  many 
agreeable  acquaintances  in  the  village,  and  made  some 
few  warm  friends.  But  I  was  in  bondage.  I  was  not  a 
1* 


6 


freeman,  and  I  felt  I  had  a  RIGHT  TO  BE  FREE.  I  had 
committed  no  crime,  and  was  29  years  of  age.  What 
right  then,  had  any  man  to  keep  me  in  bondage  ?  In 
fine,  as  I  was  born  a  freeman,  I  resolved  I  would  not  die 
a  slave. 

There  was  a  little  paper  published  about  that  time,  and 
I  believe  at  this  time  also,  of  which  I  was  the  principal 
editor.  I  had  two  assistants,  but  the  one  was  too  crazy, 
and  the  other  too  lazy  to  write ;  and  they  never  wrote  a 
line.  I  wrote  to  my  father,  stating  the  improved  state  of 
my  bodily  health,  and  also  sent  him  a  few  copies  of  this 
little  paper,  and  frankly  told  him  he  must  be  satisfied  from 
them,  and  my  letters  to  him  and  my  friends,  of  my  men- 
tal restoration,  and  I  thought  it  was  hard,  extremely 
hard,  to  keep  me  in  bondage.  He  answered  my  letter. 
But  though  his  answer  was  written  by  him,  yet  from  its 
spirit,  I  am  satisfied  it  was  dictated  by  another,  viz.,  my 
step-mother,  who  has  great  influence  over  him.  Besides, 
he  anticipated  leaving  home,  and  as  my  step-mother  and 
myself  never  could  agree,  and  as  my  health  was  not  entire- 
ly restored,  why  I  suppose  that  he  thought  it  was  best  for 
me  to  remain  where  I  was.  But  though  he  is  the  best  of 
fathers,  yet  in  this  1  must  say  he  erred  ;  yes,  that  he  wrong- 
ed me,  deeply  wronged  rne,  however  kind  may  have  been 
his  motives.  No  plea  of  convenience  will  justify  or  excuse 
the  depriving  a  free  citizen  of  his  liberty.  This  should 
be  sacred.  Thinking  and  feeling  this,  I  took  my  liberty 
in  my  own  hands,  and  took  the  cars  and  came  off  to  Bos- 
ton. When  I  once  got  here,  I  thought  I  should  be  free; 
but  alas,  I  was  mistaken.  Pursued  by  the  assistant  phy- 
sician of  the  Asylum,  I  was  set  upon  by  the  high  con- 
stable of  Boston,  with  some  half  dozen  deputies  at  his 
heels.  I  was  run  down,  seized,  and  by  brute  force,  after 
being  lodged  in  jail  one  night  like  a  common  felon,  I  was 
dragged  back  to  the  N.  H.  Asylum,  where  I  have  been 
closely  confined  pretty  much  ever  since.  But  a  full  ac- 
count of  this  most  brutal  transaction  has  been  already  giv- 
en to  the  public,  by  my  independent,  noble  hearted  friends, 
Messrs.  Norris  and  Kent,  in  the  Olive  Branch  and  Sun. — 


7 


And  I  hereby  endorse  every  syllable  of  the  publications 
made  by  them,  concerning  that  transaction. 

About  two  months  ago,  that  noble  son  of  New  Hamp- 
shire, and  friend  of  mankind,  the  Hon.  J.  P.  Hale,  United 
States  Senator  from  that  State,  came  to  see  me,  and  being 
satisfied  of  my  sanity,  caused  a  writ  of  habeas  corpus  to 
be  served  upon  the  superintendent  of  the  Institution.  Ac- 
cordingly the  superintendent  and  myself  appeared  before 
the  Hon.  Joel  R.  Parker,  chief  justice  of  New  Hampshire, 
in  Keene,  the  town  of  his  residence.  Owing  to  the  fact 
of  my  close  and  rigid  confinement,  and  utter  inability  of  ob- 
taining any  testimony  in  my  behalf,  I  was  advised  by  Mr.  H., 
who  acted  as  my  friend  and  lawyer,  to  have  my  case  put 
off  until  the  regular  sitting  of  the  court  in  June,  in  the  town 
of  Concord.  I  did  so,  and  the  judge  readily  granted  my  re- 
quest. But  from  his  kind,  manly,  and  impartial  deportment 
in  the  trial,  I  became  satisfied  that  1  had  taken  the  wrong 
step.  Had  I  suffered  the  superintendent  to  have  gone  into 
his  testimony,  I  should  have  been  liberated  at  once.  And 
why  ?  Because  by  the  few  remarks  I  made  in  the  Court 
House,  and  by  my  whole  deportment  in  the  town  of 
Keene,  I  plainly  saw  I  had  satisfied  his  mind  that  I  was  a 
sane  man.  But  I  had  moved  to  have  my  case  postponed, 
and  I  had  to  stick  to  it.  The  superintendent  and  myself 
returned  to  the  hospital.  At  first  he  showed  a  disposition 
to  be  extremely  kind,  and  to  win  me  over  by  flattery.  He 
removed  me  from  a  dark  hole  among  crazy  men,  to  the 
best  apartment  in  the  Asylum,  where  there  were  several 
who  were  sane.  But  he  saw  by  the  cut  of  my  eye,  that 
it  would  not  do.  Flattery  and  kind  treatment  to  my- 
self, could  not  bribe  me.  He  must  first  be  just  to  others, 
before  /  could  be  his  friend.  There  had  been  men  there, 
and  there  were  still  men  there,  who  ought  not  to  be  there. 
He  knew  it,  and  I  knew  it,  and  he  feared  me.  He  was 
afraid  I  would  expose  him,  the  foul  rotten  abuses  of  the 
Institution,  and  his  fears  was  not  groundless.  It  was  my 
determination  to  do  so.  Hence  he  changed  his  tactics. — 
From  courting  me,  he  commenced  trying  to  vex  and  mor- 
tify me  ;  at  last  he  gave  me  a  dose  of  physic  which  nearly 


8 


took  my  life.  I  became  alarmed,  and  afraid  of  my  life. — 
I  determined  to  leave.  I  did  so.  The  following  letter  to 
the  Hon.  Joel  R.  Parker,  will  explain  my  subsequent  pro- 
ceedings. 


Woburn,  Tuesday,  July  10. 

Judge  Parker  : — 

My  Dear  Sir, — Before  leaving  the  N.  H.  Insane  Asy- 
lum, I  wrote  to  you  of  my  intention  of  so  doing.  I  also 
stated  my  reasons  for  so  doing,  and  gave  you  my  pledge 
of  returning  and  appearing  at  my  trial  to-day,  in  the  town 
of  Concord.  I  regret,  deeply  regret,  it  is  wholly  out  of 
my  power  to  do  so.  When  I  left  Concord  on  last  Friday, 
I  had  no  idea  I  should  have  met  with  the  murderous  pur- 
suit I  have.  Last  night  was  the  first  night  I  have  ventured 
to  sleep  in  a  house.  I  have  been  literally  dogged  every 
step  of  my  way,  not  only  by  two  legged,  but  four  legged 
dogs.  A  fellow  by  name  of  Henry  Foster,  of  Manches- 
ter, actually  pursued  me  with  a  pack  of  dogs.  And  if 
the  superintendent  sanctions  this  heartless  act,  may  his 
name  be  covered  with  infamy  through  life.  As  to  that 
fellow  Foster,  he  is  utterly  beneath  my  notice. 

1  have  been  compelled  to  travel  all  night,  and  get  a  little 
sleep  during  the  day  by  the  side  of  an  old  tree,  or  the 
swamp,  far  from  the  main  road.  I  am,  therefore,  com- 
pletely wearied,  exhausted,  and  broke  down.  I  am  scarce- 
ly able  to  hold  my  pen  to  write  to  you.  I  must,  therefore, 
desist. 

Wednesday  Morning,  July  11. 

City  of  Boston.  I  now  finish,  my  dear  Judge,  what  I 
left  off  last  night.  I  said  I  was  unable  to  appear  at  my 
trial  on  yesterday.  Had  I  done  so,  it  would  have  been 
an  act  of  suicide.  I  could  not  have  stood  it.  Although 
my  mind  was  clear,  strong,  and  cheerful,  yet  my  body 


9 


was  too  weak.  It  would  have  sunk  under  the  effort. 
Although  closely  pursued  by  my  enemies,  yet  I  was  prov- 
identially saved.  Talk  to  me  not  of  accident,  dear  Sir. 
The  hand  of  my  heavenly  Father  was  too  visibly  plain. 
Five  times  did  he  interpose  between  me  and  my  pursuers. 
Twice  was  I  seen,  pursued,  and  being  run  down,  fell  from 
exhaustion.  The  thought  occurred  to  me  that  this  was 
an  act  of  providence,  and  I  had  better  lay  still.  I  did 
so,  and  my  pursuers  came  twice  within  ten  and  once 
within  twenty  steps  of  me,  and  although  I  distinctly  heard 
their  voices,  yet  they  did  not  see  me,  but  turned  off  and 
left  me.  This  interposition  was  repeated  twice  after- 
wards. I  feel,  therefore,  I  was  justified  in  taking  this 
step  by  providence,  and  perhaps  it  was  all  for  the 
best,  my  dear  Judge.  I  know  you  were  determined  to  do 
justice,  but  there  were  difficulties  in  my  case  hard  to  be 
overcome.  I  was  peculiarly  situated — in  the  power  of 
one  man,  and  surrounded  by  those  dependent  upon  him 
for  their  bread.  You  may  remember  that  the  Superin- 
tendent swore  in  Keene  that  he  believed  me  to  be  an  in- 
sane man.  If,  then,  he  could  thus  perjure  himself, 
who  had  some  pretensions  to  being  a  gentleman  and  a 
man  of  honor,  what  would  not  his  dependents  do  ? 

And  to  be  frank  with  you,  my  dear  Judge,  I  would 
not,  with  two  exceptions,  believe  them  upon  oath  ;  such 
is  their  low,  sycophantic  and  heartless  character.  And 
yet  I  had  no  means  of  impeaching  their  testimony.  I 
was  shut  up  in  a  mad-house,  and  saw  no  one  but  them, 
and  they  would  stick  to  each  other  like  leeches  ;  every 
man,  like  the  rogues  in  Paul  Clifford,  swearing  his  fellow 
was  a  gentleman.  Besides,  you  would  have  to  go  ac- 
cording to  the  law  and  to  the  testimony.  The  testimony, 
therefore,  would  have  been  against  me,  so  far  as  swearing 
was  concerned.  Besides,  Judge,  my  main  witness  left 
the  Asylum  several  months  ago.  Well,  these  fellows 
might  swear,  if  so  disposed,  that  I  had  since  then  been 
a  raving  maniac,  or  subject  to  fits  or  paroxysms  of  insan- 
ity, or  something  else.     In  fine,  Judge,  it  is  my  honest 


10 


belief,  from  the  interposition  of  providence  in  my  behalf, 
in  assisting  me  to  leave  the  institution,  that  He  saw  the 
embarrassments  in  which  you  would  be  placed,  and  re- 
lieved you  by  aiding  me  to  get  away. 

With  the  highest  respect  and  esteem, 

Your  friend,  James  Saunders. 


In  conclusion,  I  solemnly  declare,  that  since  I  have 
been  at  the  New  Hampshire  Insane  Asylum,  some  17 
months,  that  one  James  Stewart  Darling,  a  well  educated, 
well  bred  man,  was  kept  imprisoned  there  for  nearly  two 
years,  and  during  the  whole  of  that  time  was  sound  in 
both  body  and  mind,  and  I  hereby  challenge  contradic- 
tion. The  Superintendent  dare  not  report  to  the  con- 
trary. The  fact  is  notorious  in  Concord,  for  Darling  was 
often  seen  and  conversed  with  by  the  citizens.  I  also 
declare  that  one  Washer  has  been  kept  there  for  upwards 
of  two  years,  and  is  and  has  been  perfectly  sane  ;  that 
one  Richard  Rowel,  of  Salem,  who  was  put  there  by  a 
heartless  brute  of  a  son,  merely  because  he  would  not 
make  over  all  of  his  property  to  him,  although  he  had 
amply  provided  for  him — although  perfectly  sane,  and 
for  a  man  of  his  age,  remarkably  healthy,  has  been  kept 
there  upwards  of  six  months,  and  is  still  there.  His  is  a 
hard  case.  I  have  several  times  heard  him  beg,  in  the 
most  feeling,  pitiful  manner,  of  the  attendant  to  take  a 
razor  and  cut  his  throat ;  not  like  an  insane  man,  but  in 
despair.  I  also  declare,  that  one  Fellows,  of  Exeter,  was 
kept  there  nearly  two  years  after  he  got  well.  It  was  too 
much  for  him  ;  the  poor  fellow  despaired,  and  has  since 
become  deranged.  I  also  declare,  that  one  Tutherlee  and 
one  Niles  are,  or  were  perfectly  cured  for  weeks  before 
I  left  the  institution,  and  ought  to  be  at  home.  And  final- 
ly, I  solemnly  declare,  that  all  power  is  virtually  vested 
in  the  Superintendent ;  that  the  Trustees  are  only  so  in 
name  ;  and  that  there  is  but  one  thing  in  which  the  Su- 


11 


perintendent  is  consistent  or  methodical,  and  that  is — de- 
ception ; — that  he  seldom,  if  ever,  keeps  his  promises  to 
the  patients,  but  almost  invariably  breaks  them  ;  and  that 
the  duplicity  there  practised  is  enough  to  make  a  sane 
man  insane  ;  and  that  he  is  wholly  and  totally  incompe- 
tent to  the  duties  of  his  office  as  Superintendent,  either  in 
mind  or  heart.  And  for  the  truth  of  these  declarations,  I 
confidently  appeal  unto  John  H.  Warland,  Esq.,  who 
has  lately  left  the  institution,  as  well  as  all  others  who 
have  left  the  institution. 

In  conclusion,  I  would  say  that  I  have  no  doubt  the 
foregoing  statements  will  be  attempted  to  be  answered, 
but  I  KNOW  that  I  have  told  nothing  but  the  TRUTH, 
and  as  that  is  ever  powerful,  it  must  and  will  prevail. 
I  have  said  what  I  have,  from  a  sense  of  duty,  and 
confidently  leave  it  with  my  heavenly  Father,  knowing 
that  he  will  put  his  seal  to  the  work,  and  it  will  be  well 
done. 

JAMES  SAUNDERS. 


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